ATHENS -- Freshman Trevor Lacey scored a career-high 19 points, all but two of those in the first half, in leading Alabama to a 74-59 win over Georgia on Saturday night in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.

Freshman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope also had a career night for Georgia (9-6, 0-1) with 22 points.

The Crimson Tide won their fourth straight game while snapping the Bulldogs' five-game winning streak.

Lacey outdid his previous career-best of 12 points with 17 first-half points as Alabama led 38-26 at intermission.

Caldwell-Pope led a second-half rally by Georgia, which closed to within four on Donte Williams' stuff tip of his own miss, making it 52-48 Alabama with 9:20 to play.

But Alabama went on a 12-2 run over the next 4 -1/2 minutes, capped by Mitchell's three-point play with 5:00 to go, to lead 64-50.

"We wanted to get to the position late in the game where we were not in foul trouble and we had a chance to win," said Georgia coach Mark Fox. "And we did, but they made the plays and we didn't."

Georgia opened the game in a zone defense, and the Tide responded by hitting six of 12 3-pointers in the first half.

The teams traded the lead back and forth four times in the early going. Georgia's last lead came at 11-10 when Gerald Robinson beat the shot clock with a layup with 13:08 showing.

The Crimson Tide made three straight 3-point shots in the midst of a 16-4 run that built a 26-15 lead with 6:23 remaining in the half. Lacey's acrobatic scoop and free throw put the Tide up 31-17 at the 4:00 mark.

Caldwell-Pope followed that up by converting a four-point play, but no rally followed.

In the second half, the Bulldogs still trailed 48-37 with 15:36 to play. But an 11-4 run closed the gap to four.

However, the Bulldogs went nearly five minutes between baskets as Alabama ran away.